The Only Monsters

Ivy had returned from the Towns. Once Lucius had received the medicine, the Elders closed and locked the door. They spoke with Ivy, questioning her thoroughly. Ivy was content to speak, as long as she could stay with her fiancee.

She told them that the monsters in the forest were real after all. She had fought and killed one in self defense.

Her father said nothing to contradict her.

Ivy had stayed with Lucius all night, not even changing her muddy clothes until her older sister came in and forced her to get some sleep, a meal and a bath.

Ivy had done so, and her father walked her back to Lucius' side once she had awoken. She had apologized endlessly for the harsh words she had spoken to her father, since it had been discovered that his deception had protected the village from the monsters in the forest after all.

And Edward said nothing to contradict her.

Ivy had noticed the tread of shy little feet outside Lucius' home when she returned to his side. The boys were creeping around, trying to get a chance to ask Ivy about everything that had happened on her journey.

She ignored them, and none were brave enough to come out and ask. The woods were a place of mortal terror to the village-folk; and Ivy had walked, blind and alone, all the way to the far side of them and come back intact.

Lucius improved steadily, and Ivy allowed herself to join the evening meal a few days after her return.

Noah Percy's father had called for the attention of the village at the evening meal; and announced that his son had escaped the Quiet Room. It was declared that Noah had tried to follow Ivy... and that Those-They-Did-Not-Speak-Of had apparently left his bloody clothing at the place the Ceremony of Meat was performed, to inform the villagers of what happened to those that left the Village.

The Percy family, and indeed, most of the Elders had wept openly at the news. Several of the village-folk that weren't close to the Percy boy were secretly relieved, not sure what else they were going to do with their first and only attempted murderer.

Edward rose from his seat and declared that a funeral would be performed the next day; and that as always, they were grateful for the time that they were given.

Those that did not look to Edward, looked instead to his daughter Ivy.

She was crying too, but she was not sad. Ivy's expression was one of raw hatred.

When her father sat back down, Ivy rose from her seat and returned to Lucius. When her father tried to join her after the evening meal; he found the door locked. Ivy let nobody but the Doctor in for three days.

Nobody in the Village knew what had infuriated Ivy so much.

That night, the perimeter alarm rang, the bells tolling across the village. As the villagers scattered, Ivy left Lucius' side, and went out to sit on his front porch.

"Ivy! Get inside!" Kitty screamed from her house in open panic.

Ivy sat on the porch steps, immovable.

"Ivy! Please! They're coming!" Kitty was nearly hysterical, backing into her doorway. Dark shapes were running out of the distant mist. "They're coming! You have to hurry!"

Ivy didn't move.

Kitty was anguished. "Oh, sister... I'm so sorry!" She wailed, and slammed her door shut.

Ivy was alone in the village for several moments, and her face was filled with nothing but contempt. She had been scared once. And now that she knew the truth, she found herself disgusted with her panicky, overwrought sister.

Three large forms moved in on her, gathering around her on the porch. Ivy could hear the clicking and growling of them.

"You do not fool me, Papa." Ivy said quietly. Nobody would hear her. "Even through the costume, I can see your color."

The lead creature shifted, and Edward lifted the mask. "I thought for sure you would."

Ivy stood up. Father and daughter regarded each other for a long moment.

"Why?" Ivy asked finally. "Did you not hear your daughter? She's pitching a fit in her cellar, thinking that she left me to get eaten. You put us through so much."

"I know." Edward said, voice heavy with grief. "Ivy, it had to be done. Noah leaving the village was unexpected, and..."

"And you had to convince everyone that we would be punished for what I did, going to get medicine." Ivy nodded. "I understand." Her head tilted as she gazed, sightless, in his direction. "I told you what happened in the woods. Did you think I wouldn't work it out?"

"I had hoped..." Edward started to say, then changed his mind. "I had hoped to spare you from guilt. Noah was your friend for a long time."

"Guilt?" Ivy challenged. "Or did you hope that I would believe in scary monsters again? Because if the creatures in the woods were real, that would neatly absolve you of every child that died since you started this mess."

"It was a mistake." Edward confessed. "I should have told you."

"Until Mister Percy announced it, I was convinced." Ivy countered. "I felt bad for ever being mad at you; and then I realized it was just another layer of deception. And you? You. Said. Nothing."

Long silence. The other Elders had approached, still in costume. Five monsters, gathered at the same doorsteps, staring down a blind young woman.

"Ivy, what happened to Lucius was a horror." Edward said finally. "One that has struck us all at some point; but not here. But it was the first crime committed in thirty years. There is nowhere in the world that can say that. Noah was an innocent; he wasn't malicious, he was confused. The world is full of genuinely malicious people."

Ivy was silent a moment, before she reached out and pinched the red cloak Edward's costume bore between her fingers. "When you revealed this farce to me; you told me that the day my sight failed, you felt so ashamed. I had thought you were ashamed of me; wanting a healthy son, and getting a blind tomboy daughter instead. But now I understand, you were ashamed of yourself; because if you had taken me to the Towns, you might have been able to save my eyes, and decided instead to keep me..." An ironic smirk ghosted over her lips. "... I was about to say, 'keep me in the dark.'"

Edward winced. His costume drooped, the huge monster's features bowed in shame.

"I have no wish to inflict what happened to Lucius on anyone else." Ivy said finally. "And I cannot summon the strength to unravel all this as long as his fate is still in question." Her gaze pointed at her father. "But I will not be ashamed of myself as you should be, father. If there is need in this Village for something of the Towns, I won't hesitate to make it clear that the way is open after all."

Edward nodded. "That is... fair."

"Go." Ivy snarled, pointing into the distance. "You've made your point. Everyone's trembling in their cellars, the boys will wake up screaming for another night, just as you wish them to." Ivy turned on her heel and made her way back inside to Lucius. She paused at the doorway. "Lucius is awake. He awoke a few minutes before the alarm was raised, and then slept again."

"That's good." Edward said quietly.

"Once he recovers enough strength to handle the truth, I will speak to my fiancee; and we will make a decision."

Edward tensed. "Ivy-"

His daughter slammed the door on him.

Christop had been on watch duty that night, and had seen from a distance, that Ivy had not gone inside. He had been too far away to see Edward lift his mask, but had a clear view of Ivy staring down five monsters, and then angrily sending them away. That story had spread swiftly among the people of Covington Village, and Ivy's name was being spoken in whispered awe.

Kitty had thrown herself at Ivy's feet and begged forgiveness for closing the door. Lucius would have run across the town to protect Ivy, no matter what danger he was in. Kitty had been too afraid. Ivy didn't say it out loud, but Kitty's husband had spooked and run too, leaving Ivy to face the Woods alone. Rumors had spread that Kitty had thrown him out of the house when he came back without Ivy.

Ivy never returned to her family. She had her things moved out of her bedroom and into Lucius' home.

Soon after, someone discovered a package at the Resting Rock, wrapped in paper and string. The Elders had unwrapped it in private, and found a parcel full of medicines. They were surprised. None of them had put it there, and Ivy had not left Lucius' side.

A week later, another parcel came, with medicine, spices, certain things they could not manufacture in the Village...

Who was leaving them became a mystery that unsettled the Elders. The Townsfolk believed that the creatures of the woods were leaving them for the good of the town, in return for the sacrifices of meat.

The third package included a letter, addressed to Ivy. Ivy would not allow her father to enter Lucius' home, even then, so Victor delivered it during his treatment of Lucius; and read it aloud to her.

It was signed: "From Kevin."

Ivy had dictated a response, and Victor had delivered the letter to the Resting Rock. As a Doctor, Victor was forbidden from sharing the contents of either letter with anyone, but from then on, the packages became much more specific, filling needs that had gone unanswered for far too long.

Lucius had recovered enough to walk, and he and Ivy strolled around the Village daily. She led him to the Resting Rock, near the edge of the Woods, where nobody was brave enough to approach.

What they spoke of was unknown to the village-folk, except that Lucius and his mother began to argue more often, until they did not speak at all. Edward knew. The next day, Ivy came to him for the first conversation she'd had with him willingly, and she'd admitted that she'd told Lucius the truth. She and her fiancee had debated endlessly on what to do about the secret, and resolved that they would need to give it more thought.

The medicine and other supplies came regularly, along with replacement parts, fabrics, new strings for abandoned instruments, and life improved steadily for a time. Rumors began to spread that Ivy had talked the creatures into supplying their town's needs. The moaning noises from the woods stopped. There were no further attacks, and the sightings from the watch towers stopped soon after. With the supplies coming in, Ivy was content to let the secret remain, since nobody was getting hurt by the secret any longer.

The townsfolk were in awe of Ivy Walker, who had faced all their nightmares and come back not only a survivor, but victorious. The village Elders were terrified of her, knowing that she had their every secret. She had not spoken of what she knew, too grateful that her fiancee had recovered. But she still held a great deal of anger, and if she ever gave into it, she could undo them all with a word.

The first hint of the Extermination came a year later.

Ivy heard it first.

It was a year since her Expedition. Eight months since the wedding.

The Midday meal was a happier time now. The roars and moans from the Woods had been silent since the care packages had arrived at the Resting Rock, and everyone felt lighter for it. In fact, it was rumored that the latest care package included some delicacy of the Towns that nobody had ever tried before.

"We are thankful, for the time we have been given." Edward declared, and everyone smiled, echoing the sentiment. Ivy squeezed her husband's hand, and they began to eat. There was something new in the baked breads. It was sweet and delicious.

"Cinnamon!" Ivy heard Mrs Clark murmur warmly. "I haven't had a cinnamon roll in thirty years!"

Ivy leaned close to Lucius. "What do you think?"

"Tastes nice." He said softly. He was still as soft spoken as ever, at least in front of people. When it was just the two of them alone, he would open up about many things. "I never thought of things such as this."

Kitty was savoring the taste herself. "I remember father speaking of cinnamon." She told Ivy quietly. "He was speaking with Mrs Hunt about a failed crop. I think that we had cinnamon once, perhaps before you were born."

"Spices take a long time to grow properly." Lucius offered.

Kitty was about to respond, when Ivy froze in her seat. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Kitty asked in surprise, when the sound came again, louder; and the whole town heard it.

It was carried on the wind, but from a much further distance than the village was used to. The howling, throaty roars of the creatures echoed from the trees; but this was something different. It was like a blast from an enormous horn blaring over the trees, only resonant enough that every member of the town heard it rumble, deep in their chests. It was... ominous.

Ivy felt Lucius grip her hand quickly, letting her know he was there. She searched the townsfolk for a moment, until she picked up the hint of her father's color. He wasn't moving.

Ivy's ears were the sharpest in town, and she heard the Elders whispering to each other. "Papa has called a meeting." She murmured to Lucius. "Just for the Elders."

"They probably want to discuss the sound." Kitty was close enough to overhear. "It has been some time since we have heard from... Them."

Lucius knew the truth, and he spoke low enough that only Ivy could hear him. "It means they don't know what the sound is. It means they aren't the cause of it."

That night, Ivy curled up under her husband's arm in preparation for sleep. She always rest her fingers on his scars; tracing them gently. Even a year later, she couldn't shake the fear that she had almost lost him once; even before she'd truly had him to begin with.

He stroked his fingers through her curls. "My mother asked after you today." He murmured. "She wants to invite us both to a private meal, just your family and mine."

Ivy stilled. Alice Hunt moved out of her own home when Ivy moved her things in, and now lived with the Percy family, at Ivy's direction. Some rather salacious rumors had started as a result, but were quickly squashed. She hadn't spoken a word to her father, or any of the Elders in some time. "What did you tell her?"

"The truth, only." Lucius promised. "That I would discuss it with you, and that I doubted you would be inclined, since I wasn't truly in favor of it myself."

Ivy nuzzled into him. She had wanted to do it since she was old enough to understand what it meant, and now she was free to do so. Even after eight months, it seemed like a wonderful dream. "I never meant to put you at odds with your mother, Lucius."

"You did not. She did it; as did your father." He assured her. "But the time will come when we can't put them off any longer."

"I know." Ivy sighed. "When I told father that we had set a date for the wedding, he demanded to know what we decided. I told him that on our first anniversary, we would either tell the townsfolk the truth, or join the council of Elders in keeping their lies."

Lucius stilled. "You did not tell me this."

"I just wanted him to stop asking for a while. If I had to do it again, I would have chosen another date." Ivy admitted. "Our wedding day was ours, as it should have been. Our first year as husband and wife should be just ours too."

"Mister Patterson had hinted that we may be appointed as Elders ourselves in a few months." Lucius commented. "Now I know why." He kissed the top of her head. "Why did you not announce it to everyone back then?"

Ivy's fingers gripped against his scars for a moment. "I was so afraid of losing you." She confessed. "I was so full of horror and panic that I wanted to die, just so that the feeling would stop for a moment. I cannot believe anything my father has ever told any of us, but he started this for a reason, and if there's even a chance that going out there makes it more likely that it could happen again..." She looked ashamed of herself. "Even knowing the truth, I am still too afraid."

He held her tightly, and they were silent for a time.

"My mother seeks to end the feud between you and your father." Lucius said quietly. "The Elders are terrified that your mutual silence could destroy the whole village."

Good. Ivy thought, but swallowed it before she could speak the word out loud. "That's why your mother wants to have dinner?" Ivy guessed. "I thought it was to remind us that she wants grandchildren."

Lucius laughed. Ivy thrilled to hear it. Shy, quiet Lucius Hunt only laughed for her. It was more real to her than their vows.

A few hours later, Ivy awoke from her sleep and sat bolt upright before her eyes were open.

Lucius was woken by the sudden movement. "Ivy?"

Ivy was still, trying to figure out what had woken her. The last time she'd reacted before waking up, Lucius was waiting on her porch steps, and the night had ended with a proposal. "I heard something. I think." She said finally. "It is a sound I do not recognize."

"Do you still hear it?"

Ivy listened. "No."

"Perhaps a dream?"

Ivy settled, uncomfortable. "Perhaps."

Silence.

"Do you not want children?" Lucius asked her suddenly, and Ivy's head whipped around so fast she almost fell over. He steadied her. "I ask, because... I know that you spoke to Victor during my recovery. You sought ways to delay the event."

Ivy softened. "I want to." She promised. "But... Four months until our first anniversary. If we decide we want to leave the Village..."

Lucius nodded. "That's what I thought. Ivy... even if we decide to reveal the deception, I fear that not everyone will want to leave."

Ivy's head tilted. "And you, husband? Would you want to stay?"

Lucius considered that for a moment, when they both froze. "I heard it." He whispered.

In the stillness of the night, came the distant sound of... thumping? They came in a regular beats of three. It wasn't a sound exactly, more like a vibration. The air quivered slightly as something in the distance echoed, from even beyond the trees.

"It sounds like... thunder?" Lucius guessed.

"I cannot smell it." Ivy thought aloud. "When there is rain, or even storm clouds in the distance, you can smell it on the wind." She listened for a moment as the rhythm continued. "The sound is moving." Ivy whispered. "I think. I'm not sure. It sounds somewhat like footsteps; only much much louder."

"There is no thing on four legs under God or Man that takes steps that heavy." Lucius said firmly.

Ivy's head tilted as she studied the sound. "Three legs. The pattern is... much like my own, when I use my walking stick. If it is walking on legs, it has three of them."

By this time, they had both drifted to the window, and leaned outside to listen. Lucius looked back and forth... and discovered that others were listening too. In the middle of the night, the town was waking up.

And then the first sound came again. A deep rich bass, with a lighter resonance singing through the air a moment later. In the middle of the night, with all the animals asleep and the town quiet, it was much clearer, though no closer. A distant, siren howl.

The next day, the care package did not come. It was the first weekend it had failed to arrive in eight months.

Lucius and Ivy sat at the Resting Rock, looking out into the woods.

"You are worried?" Lucius guessed.

"I am... concerned." Ivy commented. "The Care Packages came, as far as I am able to tell, from the gentleman who helped me by fetching those medicines that saved your life. He is the only one that knew I came from the Woods. Father says the other end of the woods is protected as a nature preserve; which is why he had resources close at hand. If the man was able to track me back here, then he would have seen the village. But the fact that he left the Packages anonymously..."

"He probably kept our secret." Lucius agreed.

Ivy glanced at him, and patted the rock next to her. Lucius sat down, and she put an arm around him. "It bothers you, that he did not come into the village himself?"

"It bothers me that everyone seems so desperate to keep a secret that they don't agree with." Lucius said, and on anyone else, the tone would have seemed angry. "Our world is built of secrets and fears and lies, and none of us know what the truth is, but we cling to the deception, no matter how much we hate it!"

Ivy knew that he had these moments, few and far between, where the thoughts that filled his mind came exploding out of his mouth. The outburst had been building for a long time.

She looked over at him. "The floorboards are different in our kitchen. They feel more flexible, as they do in the Quiet Room... And I know that the boards are flexible there for a hiding place."

Lucius reacted as she changed the subject so quickly.

Ivy's head tilted. "My father hid things from me, Lucius, and I have still failed to forgive him." It was not an accusation, just a reminder. "After what Noah did, and discovering the Elders' deception, and being abandoned in the woods by my own escorts... The only person in the whole entire world that I trust is you."

Lucius sighed and kissed her face tenderly. "The calender is concerning me. In less than four months, we will be required to challenge the Elders, or join them. I thought, that since you had proven the way to be open, perhaps there was another option."

Ivy was intrigued. "What's under the floor in the kitchen?"

"Supplies. Some cloaks, clothing, what few items might be considered valuable, and some dried foods that will not spoil for a time. Enough for both of us."

Ivy licked her lips. "You wish to leave?" She seemed almost hopeful.

"I wish to be prepared. The longer you and your father are at odds, the more fearful the Elders become. I fear that the waiting will only make the fear worse, and that there will come a point of no return."

Long silence.

"I do hate it." Ivy declared finally. "We're playing along with this awful farce and being bound by fears that don't mean anything to us." She bit her lip and reached out a hand. He took it automatically. "Is anyone watching?" She said softly.

Lucius looked around. "No."

Ivy walked slowly down the hill, into the woods. Lucius followed her, holding his breath. Even knowing the truth, the old fear ran deep. The edge of the woods was harder to define here, since few people went to the Resting Rock, but they knew when they hit forest. One step, green soft grass, two steps, and they were crunching of dried, dead leaves, and pine needles.

They were over the line, together in the woods.

"Noah found berries." Ivy said with a smile. "He brought them to me many times before you were there to tell me what color they were." She licked her lips. "They were delicious."

Lucius caught the hint, and in short order, they found a raspberry bush; with fresh, tart berries just starting to turn ripe. They sat under the trees, where none of their friends had ever dared walk, curled up in each others arms, gorging on berries until their lips were stained bright red.

It was naughty, and exciting and delicious; and they both enjoyed every minute of it.

"We had best show caution, when we go back." Lucius said finally. "The juice of these berries is all over our faces and hands."

Ivy giggled. "Here, let me clean that for you." She said and pounced forward swiftly, licking the juice from her husband's lips and chin. He returned the favor gladly, and neither of them spoke again for a long while.

They made their way back to their home, strolling leisurely, arm-in-arm.

On their way, they met someone headed in the other direction. It was Edward Walker, and August Nicholson.

"Father." Ivy said politely, but without much warmth.

Lucius blushed as August looked them both over, up and down, hiding a smirk as he did so.

If Edward noticed any disarray in his daughter, he failed to show it. "Ivy. It is good to see you well, and... happy."

Ivy flushed too. "I take it your secret meeting went poorly?"

"It wasn't a secret, Ivy." Edward sighed. "We don't know what's going on, any more than you do. We..." he rubbed his face for a moment. "It has been decided, that those sounds are being caused by something in the Woods, and we must discover what it is, before it frightens our friends any further."

Ivy set her jaw. "Travel safely. The deep wood is treacherous. Be careful for sink holes. The ground will fall out from under your feet..." She reached out a hand in his direction, and he squeezed her fingers briefly. "You are still the only father I have."

Edward smiled. A real smile, this time. "I'll be back before dark, I promise."

It was the most civilized Ivy had been with either parent in months, and Lucius had to admit that the ease in tension had improved the day. He did not comment on it as they returned to their home.

"I know what you're thinking." Ivy said as they changed out of their dirty clothes. "But I haven't forgiven him. I merely happened to be in a good mood."

Lucius said nothing, but couldn't help the smile.

"And yes, you may take that as a compliment if you wish." Ivy said, unable to help the smile on her own face. "And no, I will not tell you your color, stop asking."

Edward glanced around awkwardly, and slipped into the Woods, with August at his back. "August, I can tell that the quick witted remark is on the tip of your tongue." Edward commented without looking back at him. "Kindly leave it there."

August chuckled a bit, despite himself. "I will, Edward. Though if I may ask... how long is this distance between yourself and your daughter going to last?"

"That, unfortunately, is largely up to her." Edward remarked as they headed deeper into the trees. "I am too ashamed to force the issue, and too afraid of what will happen when she forces it herself."

"We all are." August commented. "There has been discussion about appointing Lucius to the Elder's circle."

"You cannot buy her silence." Edward said honestly. "Or his."

"We know, but you were right, when you said that we cannot continue this way of life forever on our own. With the support of Ivy's friend on the outside, we may yet last; but if there's a chance that Ivy will agree to continue this place, then she'll need a proper position. Most of the village already considers her somewhere between a lion tamer and a saint."

Edward was about to respond, when the faint sound of machinery came on the wind. It was unmistakably the sound of a powerful engine, but not from a car or truck.

Both men were frozen where they stood.

"A sound I have not heard in many years." August observed, his voice shaky. "But that is not coming from the road. We are still at an enormous distance from the edge of the reserve."

"Agreed." Edward hissed back. "Has someone built a factory in the woods? I took steps to ensure that would never happen."

"Much time has passed since then. We can only hope it is not so." August agreed.

They continued deeper into the woods, and the sound faded after a while. The rumbling returned; vibrating the forest ground gently, a resonance that they could feel in their bones.

"Whatever could that be?" August wondered.

Edward let out a shout of horror, pointing ahead of them. August followed his gaze, and felt his jaw drop open. About thirty feet away, at the edge of their visibility, the green and grey of the woods was being overpowered... by a climbing, clinging plant that covered the trees, the deadwood, the grass, the leaves, like a thick monstrous web; almost thick enough to carpet the whole forest before them.

And it was a frighteningly bright shade of red.

"Edward, I was assigned to collect the animal carcass from the Ceremony of Meat." August whispered. "It was three days ago... and this was not here. Believe me, I would have noticed."

The two men moved close enough to touch the Red Weed, and Edward tugged at it for a moment. It was sticky and prickly, and it clung to the tree before him, even as he pulled at it. "It is a hardy plant. It is a creeper of some kind, and flexible enough that it will not snap away."

August was looking down at the ground. "It grows so quickly. I would swear before any court that I can see it moving before my eyes."

Edward chewed his lip for a moment. "Let us apply some intelligence to this matter. The sounds come from the east, and so does this plant. Our most productive growing fields are on the eastern edge of our village... And this devilish plant is not only moving quickly, it is a clinging, smothering creeper."

August nodded. "If the Weed reaches the village, it will not only terrify everyone, but it will cover the fields first, and we are coming close to harvest season."

Edward turned and strode back toward the village. "Alert the others quickly. We have to cut this Weed off and burn it away before it becomes visible to the village!"

Ivy woke sharply just after dawn, her nose twitching at the smell. "Smoke!" She said immediately. It was the wrong time of year for the firepits to be lit and the houses to need their fireplaces burning through the night.

And yet, there was smoke in the air.

Lucius was already awake and dressing hurriedly. "The wind is coming from the east. There are few homes it could be; or else the silo is burning."

Ivy hurriedly made her way to the wardrobe, scrambling for clothes. "If the silo is burning, it will destroy all our grain stores!"

But when they hurried to leave their home, they found a small crowd of people already gathered there to meet them.

They both froze, as a half dozen people pressed in, clamoring for Ivy. She held up her hands, trying to sort out one shouting voice from the others. "Be calm! What is happening?!"

Kitty got it out first. "Ivy, there is smoke coming from the Woods, and nobody can find father. You know the Woods, and..." Kitty hesitated. "It is said that you know Those-We-Do-Not-Speak-Of."

Ivy's face hardened. Lucius stepped a little closer behind her, leaning into her silently. "I have no knowledge." She said as calmly as she could. "But I will find out what I can. For now, make sure that the fire does not spread to the village; and take a headcount. Find out if anyone is missing. Bring buckets to the river, where it is closest to the western fields; just in case."

The instruction came so naturally, so easily; and Ivy didn't realize at first that she was giving orders. But as they all headed off to follow her instructions, Lucius leaned in. "You are good at that."

Ivy listened for anyone close enough to overhear, and lead him west, away from those that had come to see them. "Father said that there are tunnels, that lead from the village buildings into the woods, so that the Elders may pass unnoticed. One is in the Quiet Room, another in the Storage Shed."

There was nothing in the village that happened by accident. Ivy knew that her father was absent for a reason, and with the whole town feeling the edge of fear creeping in on them, she resolved to know what it was.

Ivy made her way to the school hall, when the wind grew stronger, and she paused, mid-step. "Lucius, do you smell that?"

Lucius paused and sniffed. "I smell the smoke, Ivy."

Ivy shivered. "As do I. But there is more."

Edward Walker returned soon after, and acted as though he had never been hard to find. He agreed with Ivy's instructions, and told everyone that unless it came as far as the perimeter, there was no reason that the ways of the woods should involve them. He returned to the school house after the evening meal. He often did so, to prepare for the next day's lessons.

When he entered the school house, he found Ivy waiting. She was sitting at the student's desk in the front row, second from the left. It had been her assigned seat when she was a student.

"When you were a child, you were always so eager to get to school." Edward said by way of greeting. "I was so glad I chose teaching as a profession."

Ivy smiled, just a little, but she didn't say anything.

Edward sat down on the edge of his desk. "Is something bothering you, Ivy? Because if you just wanted to talk, you could have approached me at dinner."

"You would not want me to be in a talkative mood when there are people about." Ivy said calmly. Too calmly. Her reluctance to take part in the secret of the village was obvious, and her manner with him became cold whenever it came up. "The care packages on the Resting Rock have stopped. There are sounds, new sounds, coming from the woods. And now the smoke."

Edward nodded., though she couldn't see it. "I am aware. You want to know if perhaps there is more to the story?"

"There usually is, where the woods are concerned." Ivy commented blandly. "Are you making the fires in the woods?"

Edward sighed. "Yes. The last few days, the village Elders have been aware of an... infestation in the woods. There's a new kind of weed, the like of which we have never seen before. It grows so thickly that it strangles other plants, and it grows so swiftly that one can actually see it creeping over everything."

"And so you burn it?" Ivy seemed confused. "We have patrols along the edge of the town limits; surely frightening people with smoke is the greater of two evils."

"Ordinarily, yes." Edward sighed. "But this new weed is a bright... almost unnatural red."

Ivy twitched, despite herself, at the sound of the word. Even knowing that it wasn't truly evil, even knowing that speaking the word aloud would not bring disaster down on her, she still had superstition enough to flinch at the right name of The Bad Color.

Edward saw the reaction and nodded. "You see, even hearing the word makes you flinch; and you know the truth of it." he sighed. "There are wildflowers and berries in the woods that grow in The Bad Color, and the Elders are quick to make sure it is not visible from the town. Ordinarily, it's a matter of uprooting a raspberry bush or two, and burning it after dark. This new weed grows so fast we're working day and night to try and keep it away."

Ivy said nothing for a long time. "I wonder sometimes, what you would have done, had my hair darkened enough to make me a true redhead."

Edward couldn't help the ironic smirk. "I wonder that sometimes too."

"But I must admit to being guilty of keeping a secret, myself." Ivy confessed.

Edward looked up in surprise. "Oh? If you mean sneaking over the border to help yourself to those berry bushes yourself, we already knew."

"Not that. The whole town is worried." Ivy explained. "They're terrified of the woods. But Lucius is not, and I have been honest with him. He suggested I come to you with what I know."

"Know about what?"

"You should be cautious with this Red Weed." Ivy swallowed. "The smoke, coming from the woods? There is... a smell on the wind. Whenever the smoke comes this way, I can smell it, just barely. The smoke... it smells like Lucius' home, the day Noah stabbed him. It smells as my clothing did when you pulled me away from him... And on your hands at the evening meal tonight."

Edward started. "You can smell it? I have been working with this weed for two days, and have noted no strong odor."

"I may be the only one in town who can pick up the scent, and know it well enough to name it." Ivy said with grim certainty. "The smoke coming from the woods is thick with the smell of blood."

"Ivy was correct." Victor reported, with a sample of the Red Weed in a small sample container. "I have tested the samples we brought back, and this weed... It seems to be filled with neither water, nor chlorophyll. We have all handled it, uprooted it... What we thought was juices of some kind... Indeed, the majority of the Red Weed is sustained by... blood."

The Elders all shivered hard at the deceleration. Violence of any kind was more than taboo. It was violence that had driven them all to this impossible life-long charade, and violence that put it all in jeopardy.

"Sustained by it?" Edward repeated. "As in, it lives on blood? Where would such a large collection of plant life come across a supply of such a thing?"

"I cannot imagine." Victor confessed. "There are carnivorous plants in some parts of the world, but to have rooted in supply enough that it runs through the entire Red Weed is beyond comprehension."

Two days and nights passed. The Elders were rarely seen, which was less startling than it seemed at first. With the harvest so close, everyone knew their assignments, and there was little more for the Elders to organize until the majority of the work was done.

Ivy knew that there was more to the duties of a Village Elder than was generally known, and wasn't concerned until the smoke started. And then Lucius was informed that Edward was feeling ill, and that as his eldest son-in-law, he would be required to lead the village at the evening meal.

Public speaking held all the terror of hell for Lucius Hunt, and rumors began as to why Kitty's husband was not chosen for the honor, as she was Edward's eldest child. Ivy had heard the whispers that her sister had still not taken Christop back.

With each day, the smoke grew closer to the Town, and still less was seen of the Elders. When they were in view, they looked exhausted.

The fear was creeping again. Some had come to believe that the Village had achieved more than a mere truce with the creatures after Ivy's expedition, but now the suffocating fear was coming back. Lucius noted that he and his wife had more privacy as they edged closer to the woods, people avoiding the trees as much as possible.

The flicker of the flames was close enough to become visible from the Perimeter, though news about what was being burnt was still an open question.

The whole Village crowded around the front step of the Main Hall, as there wasn't enough room inside for every member of the town. Alice Hunt made the announcement.

"We have been studying the movement and the frequency of the flames since their discovery." Mrs Hunt declared to them all. "The fires are very carefully controlled, in much the same manner as we did, when clearing fields for growing."

"But Those-We-Do-Not-Speak-Of are carnivorous!" Someone shouted. "Why would they grow crops?"

"They would not." Alice held up her hands, calling for calm. "It is obvious that if the fires are so tightly bound, then they are not a threat. The Elders believe that Those-We-Do-Not-Speak-Of Woods are burning a perimeter of their own, so that none of their kind might be seen in the Village, even by accident."

There was silence, as they all turned this over in their minds. Lucius heard Ivy snort, but she was restrained enough that nobody else noticed.

"For thirty years, we have been careful to maintain our own perimeter, and have seen no sign, until now, that Those-We-Do-Not-Speak-Of have done the same. But obviously, for there to be a fair truce, they will have to keep it as well."

There was a loud murmuring.

Alice finished their cover story. "In any event, the Forbidden Woods are not for us. Until something crosses The Line, we have no reason to fear."

"Things have changed!" Someone yelled. "Things are not the same since Ivy Hunt came back!"

Alice started to call over them, when Ivy spun toward the north with a look of naked fear on her face. "Aah!"

Sudden silence. An instant later, they all heard it. It would have been impossible not to. At first it seemed as though thunder was breaking, though the sky was clear. But the booming noise that shattered the sky was followed by the unearthly howl of a screaming soul.

And then, they all saw it. It was vaguely triangular, zooming through the sky like a huge grey bird. Its wings were fixed and swept back, and it cracked across the sky faster than anyone could follow it, roaring off the other way; loud enough to make the trees wave back and forth in its wake.

Everyone was screaming, scattering in every direction, as though the sky was coming down on their heads, which it very nearly was.

The more fearful of the townsfolk were rolling around on the ground, bawling their eyes out with their faces pressed into the dirt and their hands covering over them. The children were running in every direction, hysterical.

The Elders were crouching low, looking upwards in shock, but they held it together.

Ivy had her hands clapped over her ears at the unnatural shriek of the flying machines. Lucius looked stunned by the sighting, as had most of the townsfolk; but unlike them, he immediately looked to Ivy's father.

Edward and his wife were talking to each other, and Lucius barely heard Tabitha say the unfamiliar words. "Fighter Jets."

And then, in quick succession, it happened twice more, as two more planes crossed from horizon to horizon, faster than the eye could track; vanishing over the distant Trees.

A moment later, the explosions started, coming over and over like thunder rumbling in the distance. The horizon, beyond the tree line, lit up with snaps and flashes of light; which faded as the explosions ran out.

Edward ran swiftly to the town bell, and pulled the rope firmly, sending out a warning to the town, as he did during one of the drills. The townsfolk reacted as they had been trained to their entire lives, and ran for their homes.

Ivy was walking awkwardly, waving a hand in front of her. She was walking with barely restrained haste, and he could hear her mumbling to herself. She was counting her footsteps. If she ran, or changed her stride at all, she would lose her place and get lost, though it was clear she wanted to run. Lucius came up behind her and caught her outstretched hand in his, as he always did. Ivy didn't bother to ask who it was, smiling in relief. "When I heard Noah had attacked someone, I wanted to run to you. But I couldn't without losing my place." She said quietly. "What on earth was it?"

Her husband gave her a quick description. "It was a machine, but I have never heard of a machine that could fly. Your father knows what it was, but I think that he is more afraid than we are." Lucius hissed to her. "What do we do?"

"We go to our home, and we get our provisions." Ivy told him. "I think that if Father has lost control of events, then this is the point of no return."

The Elders waited until everyone was hidden in their basements, and held a quick conference.

"Edward, that was surely not a passenger jet." Alice hissed. "That was the work of the military. How can we possibly explain that?"

"We cannot." Victor had a hand to his chest. "Perhaps there's no reason we need to. All we need do, is admit that there is no explanation." He looked up again, almost superstitious. "I must admit to being shattered by the experience myself."

"We have to say something!" Tabitha insisted. "Even if it is unequal to the task, there has to be something."

"I don't know that our explanations are satisfying anyone." Edward sighed. "When Ivy left on her mission, the best I could come up with was a 'bag of magic rocks' to protect her from harm."

There was a beat of amusement, despite themselves.

"I did not see who heckled, but I heard his call." Robert put in. "And he was right. Things have been changing for the last year. The aircraft was the final straw."

"No." Edward sighed. "The final straw will be the Red Weed."

Heavy beat.

"Why now?" Tabitha asked. "Edward, you told me that the Trust was paid off for many more years to ensure the Preserve is sealed to both road and air traffic."

"It was." Edward nodded. "At least, it was thirty years ago. My information ends the day we left the Towns."

Alice was still looking to the horizon. "What if they finally did it?" She whispered. "We hear heavy machines and sounds of explosions. War planes are cracking the sky, and flying low across the trees. My father told me that they fly low and fast when they wish to attack something by surprise."

"A war?" Victor whispered in dread.

Long silence as they all turned that over in their heads.

"I should return to the Woods." August said finally. "It is unwise, to leave the burn-off unattended for too long."

They all nodded, and he excused himself. Edward had yet to sound the all clear, so August had no need to take special caution when crossing the Forbidden Line.

But when he approached the tree line, he found someone was staggering out of the woods to meet him.

August froze. The man was fairly young, but it was hard to tell. His body was hunched over in exhaustion and pain, his eyes were wild, and he had clearly not washed, eaten, or shaved in many days. He was wearing a tattered uniform, with 'Walker Wildlife Preserve' written across the back, and 'Kevin' on his nametag. A whistle hung around his neck, and he was clutching an empty canteen in one hand... and a gun in the other.

August put his hands up. "Don't shoot!"

The man looked at August, and barely registered him, before he pitched forward and landed face down in the grass, unable to catch himself.

August swallowed, looked back toward the village, and finally ran over to help the young refugee.

The wretched man turned his gaze upward as August hovered over him, and at the last of his strength, he reached out and pulled the cleaner man close. "...'m lookin'... for Ivy Eli'abeth Walke.." He rasped out, and fell into unconsciousness.

AN: And we're off! Kind of an obscure pairing for a crossover, I agree, but I couldn't help it once I thought of the Red Weed creeping through the woods. If you like what you've seen read so far, I'd like to direct your attention to the Review Option down at the bottom of the screen. (Cover image by Andy Wells)